Suspenders.



Patentd vnem-24, mol, H.-|.JEFFEns.

su`sPENnEns.-

A plication filed Mur. 29, 1901 2 Sheets-S: eeeee I,

immuunauml" H. I. JEFFERS. SUSPENDERS.

(Apucm-.ion med nu. 29, 1901.)

Patented Dec. 24, 190|.Y

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2` w/TNESSES.- /NvENro/f 1n: ,Nonms mln cm wm lllll .,n. c

UNITED STATES.y

PATENT OFFICE.

JEFFRS AND WILLIAM 'MORRIS JEFFERS, OF ABERDEEN, MISSISSIPPI.

SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 689,725, dated December 24, 1901. Application filed March 29, 1901. Serial No. 53,445. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom t may concern/s Be it known that I, HARRY I. J EFFERS, residing at Aberdeen, in the Ycounty of Monroe and State kof Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspenders, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the ordinary type of Suspenders; and it primarily has for its purpose to provide an article of the character stated of a very simple and economical construction in which the adjustable portions thereof can be conveniently and quickly operated,and in which the several parts are combined in such a manner as to render them strong and durable and to present a neat'appearance.

In its more generic nature my invention comprehends Suspenders composed of two members, one of which forms aback connection, the other the shoulder-braces, each end of which terminates in a pair of fastener or button-engaging members.

My invention also includes a novel construction of the ends of the front or brace members to provide for a simple, novel, and effective means for shortening or lengthening the front strap or button-'engaging ends, and in its more completel form my invention also embodies certain combinations and novel arrangement of parts, including a special form of elastic connection for the front or strap ends, all of which will hereinafter be fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aview illustrating the front portion of my improved Suspenders as in use. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the back of the Suspenders. Fig. 3 is a back View of the joint between the back-strap member and the shoulder-brace member. Fig. 4 is an inside face View ofthe same. Y Fig. 5 is a cross- Seetion takenon the line 5L5 of Fig. 4. Fig.

6 shows the intel-lacing ends of the two members separated. Fig. 7 is a detail View of one of the front or strap ends.' Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the same on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a similar view illustrating the strap end and elastic member forming a part thereof extended to their limit. Fig. l0 is a vdiagram illustrating the two membersI that I HARRY I. JEFFERS, OF ABERDEEN, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR TO MARY OPHELIA constitute the Suspenders before being aS-g sembled.V Fig.,ll is a view showing the end strap without the elastic connection.

In the practical construction my improved Suspenders comprise but two pieces, (indicated, respectively, by A and B in the drawings.) One of the pieces, which'I shallterm the shoulder-brace or front member, (indicated by A,) is of such length when it is bent to shape as to extend from the waistband up over the shoulders and down to the middle of the back, while the other is only of a length Sufficient when bent up to join with the back or loop end of member A and the back buttons'of the trousers, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. Bot-h members A and B may be of elastic material or non-elastic material; but I prefer to make the member A nonelastic and the member B of elastic material. c The two members A and B are joined together in the manner best shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, by reference to which it will be seen the two members have theirloop ends interlaced and stitched.

To provide for iiat bearing-surface that will lie easily against the back without the slightest inconvenience, the loop a. of member A and loop b of'member B are disposed one above the other,` the loop b at the top. The ends b b of loop b are crossed, extend over the ends a a of the member A, and pass under the loop a of said member A, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the crossed ends a a of memberA pass up under the loop b, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and to maintain the connection of the two loop ends a and b in a dat condition and also to add additional strength to the said connection they are reinforced by.

stitching, as indicated by ne. The ends of the portions b' b have the usual buttonholes, as Shown.

By joining the two members A and B in the manner described and shown a very durable connection is provided, which by reason of its adaptability to lie flat against the back will tend to keep the back part of the suspendersin a true and comfortable position irrespective of the bending or other movement of the body, it being obvious that strain on the two members A and B only tends to increase the interlacing or clamping condition of the two ends thereof, and thereby relieves the stitching from undue strain.

The front ends a2 a2 of the member Aeach are slitted to produce the strap portions C, the outer ends of which have the usual buttonholes c, and to prevent unraveling the cut edges are bound or stitched, as indicated by c. In the simplest form of my invention the ends C are arranged as shown in Fig. 11, such form being the best suited When the member A or its front extremities is made up of elastic material; but when said front extremities or the entire member A is made of non-elastic material I prefer to make the ends C as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 7, by reference to which it will be seen that each strap end C about midway is bent upon itself to form a plaited portion c?, and over said portion c2 is extended an elastic band D, one end of which is stitched to the lower end of the member C, and its upper end is made fast to the member C at a point above the plaited part c2. By forming the ends C in the manner described and shown they will be rendered elastic and undue strain on the elastic members D avoided by reason of the extensibilityof the parts C, it being manifest that when the elastics D are stretched until the members D are pulled out straight, as shown in Fig. 9, further stretching of the elastics D is prevented.

Another and essential feature of my invention lies in the means provided for adjusting thelength of the braces. The adjustable connection of the ends a2, it should be stated, in the manufacture of my improved suspenders is made prior to making and nishing the strap ends C, and such connection is made by first passing the free end of part a2 through the upper slot e of the double metal loop E, the free end being entered under the top bar e', then over the center bar e2, and then down through the loop e3, and from thence down over the upper bar f of the metal loop F, back up under the part 1, up through the loop e3, then through loop e', down again under parts l and 2, and under the metal loop F to a point below it, where the member a2 is bent back upon itself to form a stitching end ctx, then up through the loop F, then back down over the part ax, to which it is then stitched. The extremity of the member a2 is then slitted to produce the strap ends C, before described. By thus looping the member a2 and connecting it With the metal loops E and F the two loops E and F will be held to operate against each other.

To shorten the brace a2, it is only necessary to hold the loop E in one hand and draw the part l up as much as desired. The straightening of the back or pull on the member @2in opposite directions will iiatten out members l and 2 and lengthen them, and in colisequence shorten the full length of the braces. 'lo increase the length of the braces, it is onlynecessary to move the loop E down, together with the parts 2 and 3. Pull on the strap end or straightening of the body Will then iiatten the members l, 2, and 3 and correspondingly lengthen the braces.

The manner in which the parts l, 2, and 3 are looped provides a simple, easily-manipulated, and smoothly-operated means for adjusting the length of the members a2 and at the same time keeps all metal portions from coming into contact with the shirt of the wearer.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is thought the complete operation and the advantages of my invention will be readily apparent.

The entire suspenders, with the exception of the elastics D, are made up of two pieces, and at no part thereof is there a metal connection that can contact with the shirt. Furthermore, by reason of the non-use of buckles, clasps, and the like the Suspenders can be made at a small cost and held from soiling the shirt and quickly adjusted to the desired positions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A suspender,consisting of two members, each member having the ends thereof folded Aupon each other, and a loop portion located transversely to the folded ends, the loops of the two members being adapted to interlock, for the purposes described.

2. A suspender, consisting of tWo ilexible members, each member having the ends thereof folded back upon themselves, and to cross each other, and a central loop portion located transversely to the said crossed ends, the transverse portions of the two members having an interlocked engagement, and stitching for holding the interlocked ends of the two members in a iiatwise relation, for the purposes specified.

In a suspender, strap ends, plaited at a point intermediate their extremities, and two elastics straddling the plaited portions one on each face thereof and lying ilatwise thereon, said elastics being secured at their opposite ends to the strap members, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a suspender, an adjusting means for regulating the length thereof, said means comprising in combination with the upper metal loop E, said loop having a central crossbar, and the lower metal loop F, the branch end c2, said end being passed under the upper end of the loop E, up through its upper opening, thence over its cross-bar, thence down through its lower opening, thence over IOO IIO

over the stitching part, and made fast to the said part, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

HARRY I. JEFFERS.

Witnesses:

J. G. HOLMES, RoBT. BRANNIN. 

